Snowflakes In The Wind
by The Sandslash Named Gaara
Summary: My second Naruto story with an OC! (Rather, a couple) Special ninjas with special abilities team up with our favorite Naruto characters! A girl and her hidden rare ability squad is discovered by Team Kakashi. {Rated K plus} Will be updated sometime. Reviews and suggestions are much appreciated! The cover is of my OC. (I took it off of Team Seven.) Hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

Lanette~ I had to delete those other two fan fictions because I really didn't have time for them.

Now I'm going to create a story with an OC (as you might know, own character). I'll be updating every Friday. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Adobenchaa (Adventure)**

"Hello? Are you okay?"

I stirred. Voices floated around me, coming in and out of focus.

"Hey! I think she's awake!" a deeper voice, a male one, snapped me out of my daze. My eyes flickered open, and I saw a very familiar face. It was masked, ninja headband tilted, silver hair. Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja.

"It's alright, Sakura. She's fine." He examined me with one skillful eye, making sure I was alright.

Maybe I should start with introductions. My name is Miyuki Kisaki, which basically means "An empress on an imperial visit." I am fourteen years old. My father died on a mission before I was born, but because he was the head of the Kisaki clan, we were in despair. My mother, Mikomi Senritsu, named me, believing that I would revive the clan, in both strength and hope. We had a small part of the village dedicated just for us, like the Uchiha clan, but ours was smaller. I don't know much about the history of our clan, but I know we are significant enough to impact Konoha in some way.

Up until this point, I had been a chuunin, ready to become a jounin. I was on a special team because of my kekkei genkai, Snowflake Release, along with two of my best friends. But because I was on such a special team, no one really knew me or my friends. We weren't anything special like the ANBU, just an undercover-type team. That's why Kakashi and his team didn't recognize me. We were on a mission when we were ambushed by S-rank ninjas, when my Steel Release friend, Kinzoku Kajiba, miraculously saved us with an earth-traveling-teleportation technique. We got back safely, but we passed out. That brings us to the current story-

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked, his gaze unwavering. "We will not trust you until we know more."

I struggled to get up, and I replied, "My name is Miyuki Kisaki, and I am part of a special ability back up team. I-"

"That's all we need to know. Let's report to Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said.

"Yes, sir!"

"Roger!"

"I got it, dattebayo."

The three other members of his team included Sakura, Sai and Naruto.

Well, off to the Hokage's office.


	2. Chapter 2

Lanette~ Chapter 2! Writing frenzy! I think each chapter will be about 400 or 500 words long. Maybe I should update every Wednesday and Friday. How about it? I think a week's too long for a 400-500 word fanfic. Let me know what you think!

Check out my cousin, isiscrystal9912!

* * *

**Chapter 2: Taiketsu (Confrontation) **

"Ambushed? Where?" Tsunade-sama, the Fifth Hokage, impatiently questioned.

"By the border near Amegakure," I replied steadily.

"And you said S-rank ninjas?"

"Yes." I could feel the tension in the air getting denser as the conversation continued. Team Seven backed me up from finding me on the ground and the events leading up to this point.

"What about the other members of your team: Mokuzai Daino, Kinzoku Kajiba, and Mizushi Tarumi?"

"They should be within village limits. Hokage-sama. Kinzoku's jutsu should be accurate."

"Do you know where they would be?" Tsunade asked, sounding worried. "I'd hate to lose my only rare ability team."

Behind me, Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Sai gasped.

"Wait. What?" Sakura sounded shocked.

"Rare…ability…team?" Sai muttered.

"What do you mean by this, Tsunade-obaa-chan?" Naruto seemed equally shocked as the others.

"Hmmm…" Kakashi mused.

I turned. "Yes. Tsunade is right. I am part of a rare ability team. My teammates and I are tokubetsu jonin, a rank between chuunin and jonin. My leader, Mokuzai Daino, was a forgotten experiment of Orochimaru, just like Yamato. He too, has the wood element. Kinzoku Kajiba, a Steel Release user, is part of the Kajiba clan from Iwagakure. Mizushi Tarumi, like me, our clans both came from Kirigakure."

"Wow, that's amazing, dattebayo."

"Steel Release? I've never heard of that," Sakura said, confused.

"I know Steel Release has something to do with Earth Release," Sai offered.

Tsunade interrupted. "We'll talk about their abilities later. I myself do not know what they are. What is important now is their chances of being discovered. They are hidden, and almost no one knows about this team. But now they are discovered, and information about them will spread throughout this continent. That is why I've decided to send them out as a regular team. They will be known as RAT."

"They should be at each of the gates," I said.

"Thank you, Miyuki. Team Kakashi, move out. You'll be on standby for another mission. Miyuki, wait for your team. I'll send out ANBU members to escort them here."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama." I nodded and went downstairs to wait.

* * *

Mokuzai was the first to arrive. "Thank the Kyuubi, you're safe!" our jonin-rank leader said with relief. He was tall, with a well muscled build. Dark brown hair lined his head, and golden eyes with a tinge of green were the highlight of his face. No wonder women fell for him. He wore the standard Konoha shinobi uniform, but with a mark of a star on his jacket. All of us had it. It was the sign of our squad.

"Hey, how did you get here first, hmm?" Mizushi walked up.

"Hi, Mizushi," I said. Mizushi was pretty, with blue highlighted pewter hair and that lively face of hers. Her eyes were a pretty hazel, which always reminded me of syrup. Her kekkei genkai was Waterfall Release, a combination of Water and Wind Release. Her last name, Tarumi, means just that. She wore a vest-like outfit with a skirt and mesh leggings, and combat boots. A necklace with her clan symbol, a waterfall, completed her outfit.

"Someone's late, hmm," Mizushi commented. And don't forget her signature "hmm."

"Sigh. I guess we'll have to wait for him." Mokuzai sat down.

"Yeah," I agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

Lanette~ Ah, school. What more torture can a thirteen year old girl ask for? Two days in, and we're already full with pre-algebra homework. Sigh.

I love Google Translate! I can make it say, "Naruto, you're such an idiot!" in Japanese. Naruto, wa kono yōna baka!

* * *

**Chapter 3:****秘密 ****(****Himitsu-Secrets)**

As we were standing there waiting for Kinzoku, my mind started wandering. Why am I so special? What do my abilities have to do with this? What about my friends? Mokuzai-senpai?

Maybe I should tell you about myself. Who am I talking to, anyway? Me and my teammates have a type of kekkei genkai called kekkei tota. Very rare, and very advanced ninjutsu. Mine is Snowflake Release. A combination of Ice Release and Crystal Release. I can make snowflakes and icicles crystal. And since ice is a form of crystal, my kekkei tota makes it stronger.

Unmeltable, can withstand almost anything, and it can be formed into almost anything. It has all the jutsu of both kekkei genkai, combined into one. I can encase an enemy, and make him freeze to death, and make the crystal break, shattering the enemy into thousands of pieces. I can create freezing kunais and shurikens that are super hard.

What is Snowflake Release? Ice Release is Water and Wind Release, and Crystal Release is a form of Earth Release. Combine those two together, and you get Snowflake Release.

* * *

Kinzoku walked up, his muscles rippling. "Hi, guys. I kinda stopped for ramen at Icharaku."

"WHAT!? Kinzoku, you dummy! Wait to take us there, then you can treat us, hmm!"

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to, but I was so hungry, and-"

I raged. "YOU'RE TAKING US TO BARBECUE. RIGHT NOW!"

"Now, now, girls, don't get carried away here. I know, how about-"

Both girls turned on him. "WE'VE BEEN WAITING TWO HOURS FOR HIM!" Mizushi and I yelled in unison.

Mokuzai-senpai just sighed. "Fine, do whatever."

We grabbed Kinzoku's ears, and started dragging him to the nearest barbeque restaurant.

* * *

~Several rounds of BBQ later…~

"So, what do we do now, hmm?" Mizushi asked.

"I guess we report to Lady Hokage," Kinzoku said, scratching his blue-grey hair.

As we made our way to the Kage building, several shinobi looked at us. Staring at our star symbol, they whispered. We strained our ears to listen.

"Who are they?"'

"I don't know, but they're from Konoha."

"They're not part of ANBU, but they have a star symbol on their clothing."

"They do look powerful, though…":

We walked out of earshot.

Tsunade-sama was standing outside, waiting for someone. She saw us, and rushed to meet us.

"Good. You've assembled. Now I have news for you. Miyuki knows; she was here first."

"Okay, since Miyuki was seen by Team Kakashi, your squad is no longer in the shadows. Now you will be in action as a regular team. On a rapid decision, I named the squad RAT, but I want something more suitable."

Mokuzai-senpai looked deep in thought. We called him senpai because he's not our sensei. We were trained by our parents or relatives.

"Senpai," I asked, " I'm okay with RAT, if that matters."

"Me too, hmm." Mizushi added.

"I guess I have no choice, senpai. I can't think of anything else," said a confused Kinzoku.

"Then it's decided, Lady Hokage. Our team name will stay as RAT."

"Very well. Your first mission awaits!"

"I'm so excited!" I said, jumping up a little.

"However, you will have to wait for an A-rank mission to come up! There's one coming in on Friday. I have to speak with the client first. Until then, you'll be on standby!"

* * *

Lanette~ Yes, those delayed hangovers. I love them. So sudden.

Be sure to check out my other fanfic, The Daily Life of the Sand Sibs!


	4. Chapter 4

Lanette~ been busy with school… sigh… Oh! I forgot! This is set on Shippuuden beginning- when the Akatsuki were all there and Jiraiya didn't die.

* * *

**Chapter 4: ****情熱 ****(****Jonetsu-Excitement)**

Tsunade stood in front of us with an old man.

"Your first mission! This man needs an escort to the Stone. He is wanted for a secret jutsu owned by his clan. He will be disguised, so he won't be recognized. If you encounter someone, just say you're escorting him to Amegakure. His code name is Nurumaru. You will leave tomorrow."

"Understood." Mokuzai-senpai nodded.

"What exactly is the jutsu?" Kinzoku asked.

The old man answered. "A sealing technique. It can seal anything, to the clone technique to the Rinnegan. Permanently. " His voice sounded ancient, like an old dog growling.

"That's crazy, hmm." Mizushi was startled.

To be honest, it was scary. Imagine my Snowflake Release being sealed off forever. And I wouldn't think you could relearn it.

Tsunade interfered. "Take caution to be prepared. Leave tomorrow at dawn."

* * *

I rose early, trying to get ready. My mother was surprised that I woke up early, since I usually did not have missions every day. I told her about what happened, and she nodded. She quickly made breakfast: red bean pastries and tea. I stuffed it down and gathered my supplies. My mom gave me snacks to carry along and I grabbed my book, _The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja, _and dashed outside. Mokuzai-senpai was waiting near the north gate. I walked up, and he gave me a kunai. It had three blades, with "Never give up" engraved on the handle.

We waited for ten minutes before Kinzoku and Mizushi arrived. They had their mouths stuffed with food, and they paused before answering.

"Hey, sorry we're late, hmm." Mizushi offered me a bun, but I refused.

After they had finished eating, Mokuzai gave them their kunais, and Tsunade walked up with the old man.

"Good morning, Grandpa Nurumaru!" I happily said.

His eyes misted. "Thank you, youngster. You guys remind me of my own grandchildren in the Stone. And please don't call me that, my name's Tomaru."

"Okay. We'll escort you all the way, Tomaru! " Kinzoku enthusiastically corrected.

I sulked. "Don't worry, Miyuki. It'll be fine, hmm." Mizushi comforted.

Tsunade gave us some warnings. "Be careful of robbers. They're most likely to be from the Stone, along with other small clans. Try to be done in a week."

"I can't wait!" We skipped around Tomaru.

"Well, we'd better get on our way." Mokuzai-senpai said.

* * *

Lanette~ Sorry for the short chapter, kinda short on time.


	5. Chapter 5

Lanette~ I'm typing this up early, since I won't have time on Monday or Tuesday. It might be up early, too. Hope you enjoy this!

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**Chapter 5: 旅行****(Ryokō****-Travel)**

We took the main road out of the Leaf. Our group- Mokuzai-senpai, Kinzoku, Mizushi, Tomaru and me, obviously- trekked on until lunch. We still had a ways to go before reaching the border with Kusagakure. I don't remember much about it, just the Kannabi Bridge in the Third Shinobi World War. We settled down in a alcove a little into the forest, and Mizushi and I laid out our lunch. I had packed onigiri and steamed pork buns, and Mizushi brought bento boxes of rice, fried fish and pickled veggies. Mokuzai-senpai had brought flasks of water for us, and I put tea leaves in mine. We ate and rested for an hour before continuing on our mission.

* * *

We walked for about three hours when Mokuzai said it was time to set camp.

"It'll be sunset soon," Mokuzai-senpai suddenly stopped. "We should set camp soon."

"How about over here, hmm?" Mizushi pointed to a spot in the forest and then disappeared.

We swiftly followed her until she found a small clearing within range of the trail.

"Good job, Mizushi," I praised her.

"There's a stream nearby, too." Kinzoku walked up, panting.

As we set up camp, I wondered where Grandpa Tomaru would sleep. We would usually sleep in pairs, me and Mizushi, and Mokuzai and Kinzoku. 'Maybe he'll sleep with the guys,' I thought.

"Oh no, I don't mind," Tomaru's voice interrupted my thoughts. "I'll be fine with the young men over here."

"Okay. I'll tell Mokuzai-senpai, hmm." Mizushi said, obviously relieved.

"Where did they go, anyway?" I asked Mizushi as she walked by.

"I think hunting for dinner."

"I hope Kinzoku catches another eagle," I said, excited. I remembered the time we were on a mission in the mountains. We had to sleep in a cave, and Kinzoku set a trap for dinner. It was getting late when we heard his trap click. Feathers rained down. We had caught ourselves an eagle for dinner!

Mizushi scoffed. "Hmph. I wouldn't think so. Besides, we're in the forest, not a mountain, hmm."

"That's true. But still, it would be nice-" a shout cut off my sentence.

"HEY! We need a fire over here!"

"Kinzoku must have caught dinner," I said.

We walked out of our tent, and Kinzoku was standing with a giant fish in his hands.

"Here, hold this" He tossed the fish to Mizushi. She yelped and almost dropped it. I quickly made a box out of my ice crystal, and Mizushi plopped the fish into it.

"Thanks, Miyuki."

That's another good thing about my kekkei tota. Ice coolers. We heard a rumble, and Kinzoku had made a earth oven with a grill to cook the fish on. Mokuzai-senpai walked into camp, nodded, and made a hand sign. A piece of wood sprouted into the oven. Kinzoku, being Steel Release, has both Earth and Fire Releases, so he performed some hand signs and breathed fire onto the wood. It sparked, and a flame appeared. I took the fish out of its cooler, and set it on the grill. We took turns flipping it until it was cooked. Eating in silence, we watched the sun set and the moon rise. Getting bored, Tomaru broke the stillness.

"So, what's the program for tonight?" He sounded a little awkward.

Mokuzai-senpai answered thoughtfully. "Miyuki, use your Invisible Ice Dome to cover the campsite. Kinzoku and Mizushi, take turns guarding. Decide the shifts yourselves. Rest soon."

I performed a couple hand signs, and an almost invisible crystal dome appeared, encasing the clearing. It freezes an enemy on contact, acting as a defense. The bad thing is, it also freezes birds and other animals. Kinzoku said it's free food. I call it animal cruelty.

I crawled into the tent, with Mizushi following.

"I'll relieve him in two hours," she said.

"Ya right." Mizushi can barely wake up on time, much less relieve Kinzoku.

We snuggled close, and fell asleep within seconds. Exhausted from the journey and excitement, I drifted into a deep, rhythmic, sleep.

* * *

Lanette~ A new word record! 700 over! I'm quite proud, really. Good luck on whatever you're doing- school, work, I don't know.


	6. Chapter 6

Lanette~ Which is better: watching Naruto Shippuuden or doing math homework?

* * *

**Chapter 6- ****伏兵 ****(****Fukuhei-Ambush)**

I woke to the sound of birds singing. Beside me, Mizushi was snoring and twitching in her sleep. I poked her awake and stretched. We crawled out of the tent to see if the others were awake. Surprisingly, no one was, and it was strangely quiet. I helped myself to some leftovers, and suddenly, I froze. Mizushi gasped.

"Hurry…get the others…" She croaked, then collapsed. I looked down, and blood was gushing out from her left arm. I dragged her into our tent, wary of any enemies, and helped bandage her wound. I had learned a little medical ninjutsu, and I used that on her. Using my kekkei tota, I froze her wound and encased my three-blade kunai in it.

Outside, I heard Kinzoku and the others stir. Unaware of the danger, I summoned a penguin and told it to warn Mokuzai-senpai. It waddled off, but I pushed it toward their tent. It slid on its belly at the speed of light, swerving to avoid the fireplace.

Sighing, I slid onto my bedroll. Mizushi was still passed out, but her wound was slowly healing. I had infused the ice with healing chakra before summoning the penguin. Something poofed in front of me and there stood my penguin, looking alarmed. It squawked, and I understood immediately. Something or someone had managed to slip through a weak spot- at the base of the dome, closest to the user.

I heard voices outside.

"What is this weird jutsu?" a young boy, a genin newbie, by the sound of it, asked his sensei.

"How am I supposed to know?" the leader growled. "Listen here. This isn't part of our mission, but let's ambush them."

Since they were so loud, everyone heard their plans.

_The sensei's probably a first-timer, _I thought, giggling. Once they had arrived in the middle of the clearing, I did a few hand signs and a dome appeared over the camp, trapping everyone.

"Hey! What's happening?" a girl shrieked.

Mizushi was starting to stir. "Wha-?"

"Don't worry," I told her," we'll handle this. Besides, you can't really move with that on," I said before she could retort.

She sighed. "Okay, Miyuki, I'll stay. If you need me, well, you know what to do."

* * *

Carefully, I stuck my head out of the tent and saw a team consisting of three genin, and the leader I heard earlier. Luckily, they were facing the other way. I quickly summoned a team of killer penguins, and they advanced on the enemy. The girl screamed, and the penguins opened their mouths and spewed out hard, crystalline snowflakes. The snowflakes created a small building around them; one of the boys took out a kunai and started scraping at the ice, but with no hope.

"It's no use," I told them," unless I release it. What are your intentions, and why are you in Konoha?"

The three genin hesitated. "_I _am leading this mission, not you." the leader said firmly and cleared his throat. "We are carrying an important message for Lady Hokage. I decided to show my new team how to ambush. And that ambush was on you."

Mokuzai-senpai walked over. "Thank you, Miyuki." They had ninja headbands from the Stone, meaning that we had an advantage. Mokuzai-senpai summoned a panther, and all three genin flinched. "Don't worry, it won't bite. He'll just accompany you to the Leaf."

The jounin rank leader nodded apprehensively. I shattered the barrier, and the kids stared in wonder. One of the boys tried to catch one with his tongue, and I turned it into water just before it landed. He laughed, and the jounin gave him a look.

The panther circled the group, sniffing. The girl reached her hand out to pet it, and he purred.

"Remember, it's just a summon," Mokuzai reminded them.

The team leader gathered his team, and they walked away, with the panther following.

"Well then," Kinzoku said, "What now?" I hadn't noticed that he had walked out of his tent.

"But something doesn't seem right." All heads turned to me. "Kinzoku, can you get Mizushi?"

* * *

"Okay, so the team that just left was new and inexperienced, so who hurt Mizushi?" Her wound had almost healed, so I released the crystal on her arm.

"Wait. When I was attacked, the guy had a mask on and used a Wind Release technique." Mizushi interrupted.

"So that means-" my sentence was cut off.

"There was another group." a new voice, deep and gravelly, sounded in my ear. He had a katana to my neck, and his comrades did the same to the others.

I tried to make a few hand signs, but a pressure at my neck made me stop.

"Surrender now, or you will be taken captive."

* * *

Lanette~ hehe. 800+ words. So yeah, Miyuki summons killer penguins, and Mokuzai summons panthers. Pretty sweet. Make sure you follow the _official_ The Sandslash Named Gaara Instagram account: thesandslashnamedgaara_official (well, it's not really official, since I'm the only S.S.N.G account)


	7. Chapter 7

Lanette~ hope you had an awesome weekend! I did, but another week has started.

INSTAGRAM ALERT: Make that thesandslashnamedgaara_official. I couldn't fit _official _in so I shortened it to offical.

* * *

**Chapter 7: ****流血 ****(****Ryuketsu-Battle)**

"Surrender now or die." the words hung in the air, fading ever so slowly.

I screamed internally. Casting an enraged look at Mokuzai-senpai, each one of us unleashed our power. I encased the man in ice, and Mizushi trapped hers in an endless vortex; Kinzoku turned his captor into steel, and Mokuzai trapped both his and Tomaru's captors in a wooden birdcage.

The men tried to escape, but of no avail. Well, not the ones Kinzoku and I took care of, obviously.

"'Miyuki, the leader's in yours, hmm." Mizushi pointed to my crystal.

I unfroze his face, and he spluttered and coughed. "Don't…kill…us…"

"Don't worry, we won't. Unless…" I trailed off.

The man coughed. "We want your mysterious power for our village. It will make us even more powerful!"

"What village?" Kinzoku asked.

"The Sound. We want to continue Orochimaru's quest for power when he is out. Fine specimens, I would say." the leader held a smirk on his face.

"Utoka, don't forget we have to fight," a girl, about sixteen, reminded him.

"Fine. You win, Miki."

Behind our backs, the others were whispering. I turned my attention on them.

"Let's combine." The other one nodded. They did some hand signs and breathed fire. Kinzoku trapped the jutsu with a steel barrier, but it just melted through. I quickly put up an ice barrier, and the fireball, strengthened with wind, slowly faded.

"Quick reflexes." the leader, Utoka, said with awe. "Now, let this be a _real _battle."

* * *

I summoned six penguins, and they surrounded the squad of five.

"This is a genjustu. I'd stay out of their range," I whispered to Tomaru. He nodded and ran off.

Keeping my hands in a sign, we ran twenty yards away.

Miki scoffed. "Babies."

Focusing hard, I yelled, "Mame!" and they fell down. My six penguins had formed a snowflake that trapped the five people in it. Until the penguins disappeared, they would be stuck in a genjustu.

We dashed swiftly away, grabbing our belongings. We didn't stop until we reached the border with the Grass, where the Kannabi Bridge was. Mokuzai-senpai created a bridge, and it collapsed when the last person was off. Stopping in a alcove in the forest, we rested.

* * *

After an hour, Kinzoku stood. "Should we do air travel?"

Grandpa Tomaru looked confused.

"It's where we make a giant bird and sit in it, while Mizushi propels it with Wind Release." I said before he could ask anything.

"Seems fun. C'mon, kiddos, let's fly!"

* * *

Soon enough, we were cruising among the clouds. Powered by Mizushi's jutsu, we were there in less than two hours.

"We should have done this earlier," I said, looking at Mizushi's arm.

"I was scared Tomaru wouldn't agree, hmm." He was swinging his arms back and forth, feeling the wind on his face

"Ooh. I almost forgot." I released the penguins, and the genjustu dissipated.

"Penguins? Haha." Tomaru overheard us. "You youngsters are very strong. I'm impressed."

Our hearts swelled with pride. "Thank you, Gramps."

Mizushi landed us just outside of the village. "We'll escort you to the gates, hmm."

Tomaru nodded. As we walked toward the Stone, I began thinking about Orochimaru. One of the legendary Sannin, he turned against Konoha and his comrades. He wanted to find a jutsu that would make him immortal. I continued pondering over this to the point where I bumped into a tree be the village.

"Owww," I said, rubbing my head.

"You okay, Miyuki?" Tomaru looked concerned.

"Yeah."

We walked into the village, and the villagers stared. But when they saw Tomaru, their gazes lost their intense glare.

As we strolled toward the Kage building, I noticed a lot of people shot glances at us.

"Hey, what's up with these people?" I asked Kinzoku. He shrugged in return. We entered the Kage building, and a woman there said the Tsuchikage would be with us shortly.

* * *

"My apologies, Tsuchikage Onoki, we were ambushed on the way, so we are a little late." Mokuzai-senpai said.

"Oh, no worries. I welcome you to the grand country of the Stone! And as for Tomaru, my gratitude for escorting him here! My strong ninja will further accompany him to his family. Now please, stay a night to rest before going back home." The Tsuchikage, who was up to our thighs, said with pride.

"No, we're fine. Thank you though, Tsuchikage-sama, hmm." Mizushi said before any of us could answer.

Once we had bid farewell to Tomaru, we rose into the sky and flew home.

* * *

Lanette~ OMI GOSH! I'm so _lazy_! I typed half of it on Sunday, now I'm uploading on Friday. (sigh) I don't get how the line thingys affect the word count, but okay!?


	8. Chapter 8

Lanette~ Sorry this is up late. BUSY!

I chose my elective as Rosetta Stone. I wish my mom didn't make me take Chinese. _I WANNA TAKE JAPANESE!_ Ahem. Well, here it goes!

* * *

**Chapter 8: ****無事 ****(****Buji-Peace)**

All in one piece, we walked toward the North Gate.

"Hey, you guys head back. I'll talk to Tsunade-sama." Mokuzai-senpai shooed us back home.

"What about our money, hmm?" Mizushi asked wearily.

"Don't worry, I'll get it to you tomorrow."

We silently trudged home, heads lowered and arms droopy. Kinzoku eventually turned down an alleyway and headed into its shadows. With the sun sinking behind us, and the heat pulsing at our backs, a fresh wave of exhaustion crashed down on us. Because I lived in a enclosed village before Mizushi's house, I walked her to her house and doubled back.

I stumbled into the house, and my mother caught me just in time. She helped me limp to a cushion in the dining room, and I collapsed. Deftly, she prepared a glass of cool green tea, and I felt rejuvenated at its first sip. Finally noticing my surroundings, my mother was preparing dinner, and my cat, Mochi, padded up to me and purred.

Mochi was a stray, found mewing at the back door. We took her in for the night, and she kept coming back every day.

"_Your father would have disapproved of this," _I remembered my mother saying.

Now I looked into the nearest mirror. My clothes were tattered, my boots ripped. After finishing the glass of tea, I went to soak in the tub. Washing my hair, I infused the water with healing chakra, and my small cuts began to heal. When I was done, I grabbed for a fresh towel. Dressing in a simple kimono, I drained the tub. Mochi came in halfway and jumped in. She splashed water and soap bubbles all over herself. As the tub's water drained completely, Mochi shook herself and ran away.

I sat down to the smell of fish and rice. Taking a nail file, I smoothed my nails. By the sound of cooking, I figured that dinner would be ready in an hour. I decided that I would sort out my supplies. I walked into my room, and counted my weapons.

"Five kunais, a set of shurikens. A couple of genjustu scrolls, and-"

"Counting lately?" behind me, someone was perched on the window ledge. At first I thought it was Kinzoku, but I knew he would come from the front door. I turned around, and my boyfriend, Kanna, with his golden hair and sea green eyes, sat there looking inquisitive.

"Hey, don't interrupt me like that!" I said.

"Yeah, whatever. Came home from a mission?"

"Yeah."

"Tired, I'm guessing." he stepped off the ledge and into my room. He plopped down beside me on my bed, and kissed my cheek. I blushed.

I sat there, with my arms around his neck, my chin on his shoulder. I pulled away, but Kanna pulled me in for another kiss, this time on my lips. His lips felt warm and soft, compared to my chapped and dry ones. Gradually, as the duration lengthened, I felt more and more safe and secure. Embraced in his arms, I knew he would keep me safe. Finally he pulled away. He vanished like a shadow.

"Hmph." My mother walked in, "Did Kanna come in?" she asked seeing my rosy face.

"Yeah."

"Well, it's time for dinner."

My mother approved of Kanna and his family, but just not when he suddenly appears in our house.

* * *

After dinner, my aunt and my cousins came over. We talked for a long time, almost until midnight, until we passed out. I awoke a couple hours later, and judging from the sundial outside, it was 6 in the morning, I tiptoed to the porch, and soaked my feet in the pond.

It was so peaceful, with dawn breaking and birds twittering.

_I wish this would last forever,_ I thought.

Staring at the sun, I let my mind wander…

* * *

Lanette~ Argh. I'm so sorry I missed last week, and for the short chapter. I've just been so busy with school recently, with picture day, essay, open gym night and stuff. All the time I've been devoting to fan fiction is my Sand Sibs one. I just happened to type my essay, and I saw the unfinished chapter. So, I had to type it. The end.


	9. Chapter 9

Lanette~ Well, another chapter. ANY HOMESTUCK FANS OUT THERE?

* * *

**Chapter 9- ****和 ****(****Wa-Contentment)**

As I sat staring at the sunrise, my mind wandered.

_Why must it be like this? _I asked myself. _I just want to be a regular shinobi, not with kekkei tota or anything. I'm just… so … special… Why?_

I sighed. Tiptoeing to the kitchen, I poured a cooled cup of green tea from last night. I returned to the veranda and sat down on a cushion. Trying to get restless thoughts off of my mind, I concentrated on things around me. The rising sun, birds twittering and bugs quieting down, and the faint rustles of people stirring.

I went upstairs to my room to change. Decked out in a tunic, leggings, and combat boots, I walked out of our house and into the street, grabbing a basket filled with food as I left. My relatives were out and about, rushing to the Academy or going to open their shops. I waved hello and grinned. They waved back.

I skipped toward the park near the Kage building. I sat down on the marina, dipping my toes into the water. The water was cold, and as I skimmed my feet above the surface, it tickled, making me giggle. I opened my picnic basket and took out a flask of tea, and a breakfast bento I picked up along the way. I sat there slowly eating, thinking. I was deep in thought, especially about the most recent mission. By the time I was finished eating, the sun was almost three-fourths of the way risen. I got up and starting walking toward the Kage building.

The Fire kanji loomed in front of me. I promptly walked into the building, requesting an audience with Tsunade. The receptionist said to wait for a moment. I plopped down on a cushion, waiting to be summoned. The door opened, and Sai walked in. He acknowledged me with a slight nod, talked to the receptionist, and sat down beside me.

"How was your mission?" he asked.

"Well," I started off, not really sure how to answer. "I-it was quite surprising, that we were ambushed and all."

"Ambushed? I don't see any major injuries, so it must've been easy."

My eye twitched. I was saved from answering when Shizune walked in and motioned for me to follow. I hastily bid Sai farewell and vanished into the hallway with Shizune.

* * *

The hallway's floors were creaking and needed a polish. Shizune led me down to a doorway and opened the door. A large window let in huge amounts of light, making my eyes hurt. The dark hallway seemed sinister, almost deserted, while the Hokage's office was spacious and bright.

Tsunade stood, letting the stack of paperwork fall. She merely glanced at it and looked toward me. "Your sensei gave me a brief report, " she said, "now, Miyuki, I want a full report!" The building literally shook at her booming voice.

I nodded and took in a breath of air. I started with how we set up camp, then went on with being ambushed. She praised me for quickly healing Mizushi. I then talked about the meeting with Tsuchikage-sama.

When I was finished, Tsunade acquired a deep expression of thought.

"Thank you, Miyuki. You may leave now." She nodded her head, then added, "Your money should be in the lobby ready to pick up."

"It was my pleasure, Tsunade-sama. Please notify us if we have another mission." She nodded and I walked out of the room; Shizune closed the door after me.

I stopped my the desk to pick up my earnings, wondering where Sai went.

"Where is Sai?" I asked the receptionist, but she shook her head.

"I don't know. Maybe a meeting or something."

"Okay, I'll see if I can catch him later." I flashed a smile and left.

I hung around town for the rest of the day, only stopping at home to drop the picnic basket on the table. There was no sign of my teammates.

Probably resting, I thought.

When night fell I arrived home just as my mother was serving dinner. Mochi jumped into my lap and purred. I was stroking her as I was eating.

By the time the moon rose, I was yawning and drowsy. I changed into a silky kimono and slid into my bed. Mochi curled up on my pillow and whipped her tail across my face. I breathes out heavily, letting my worries out.

* * *

Lanette~ I finally have the time to finish this chapter! Wow, how long haven't I updated? Well, it might be a while before the next one, so watch out!


	10. Chapter 10

Lanette~ what does the fox say? Haha just kidding. Changing perspectives today. It'll be Mizushi in first person for a few chapters. Remind me next time not to listen to my cousin on what happens on Naruto.

* * *

**Chapter 10 楽 ****(Raku-Comfort)**

After Miyuki walked me home, my older brother Yunimaru told me that our parents were on a mission.

"I'm going to buy some ramen from Ichiraku and take it home," he said.

I nodded. All I needed was a warm shower, fresh food, and a long, deep sleep. I jumped into the shower and was out before Yunimaru came home.

A short while later, after sorting my weapons and bandaging my wounds, Yunimaru came home with two steaming bowls of mustard and pork ramen.

"Idatakimasu!" In unison, we broke our chopsticks apart and dug in.

"I win!" Yunimaru declared, gulping down the last bit of soup. We had always raced to see who was fastest, and I had only won five times. We laughed, and as I finished my bowl we heard a knock on our door.

"Hello?" A male voice called.

"Who is it?" I looked up to see Yunimaru opening the door just a crack. I readied my hands just in case we had to defend ourselves.

"Wind Release: Dancing Breeze," I whispered, holding my technique.

"Hey, don't get all worked up. It's just me." My father walked in. I released my jutsu and giggled.

"Sorry, Father. Where's Mother?" I wondered.

"Spending the night with your grandma. " was the only reply.

After talking for a while about my mission, we headed to bed around midnight.

* * *

I awoke to the sun shining in my face. I glanced at the clock. 8:30. I heard a key turning in the lock. Mother. I leaped out of my room and rushed to see her.

"How's Grandma?" I pestered my mother.

"Not well. We're having Tsunade look at her. Some internal sickness." My mother shook her head. "I wouldn't visit her today, though."

Sighing, I got dressed and headed out. I stopped at a gyoza stand and had breakfast. I did some errands as I went around town. Stopping by the Hokage's building to pick up my money, I thought I saw Miyuki.

"Was Miyuki here?" Sai was sitting on a cushion, waiting.

He looked up. "Yeah. She just went to see Tsunade." He stood up and walked towards a doorway, where a man was gesturing for him to come. "Talk to you later."

I waved and asked the woman at the desk about my money. She nodded and sorted through a stack of envelopes until she found one with my name on it. "Thank you," I said. She simply nodded.

I dropped the money back home, then I rushed to the Academy to help teach. After we were "exposed" we decided to help out in the community. We were soon to be given our own teams, but we would probably go on missions together, too.

"Oh, you're here," Iruka walked up.

"Yeah," I said, out of breath. "What am I gonna do today?"

"You're going to be helping me with training. Especially weapons."

I smiled. I was a whiz at weapons, preferring it to my kekkei tota. I wasn't as good as Ten-ten, but still, I was pretty good, according to Mokuzai-senpai.

"Okay, let's get started."

* * *

Lanette~ I'm not exactly making it longer, but I'm leaving you guys at a minor cliffhanger. Sorry...


	11. Chapter 11

Lanette~ hey, if you don't mind wasting your time, could you review and tell me what you want to see? I'm running out of ideas now.

* * *

**Chapter 11-稽古 ****(Keiko-Training)**

I walked behind the line of kids, occasionally shushing them or putting them back in line. Iruka and I gathered them into a circle in the training grounds.

"Okay, I'm going to hand you a kunai, and Mizushi here's gonna show you how to throw it. Remember, take turns." Iruka began distributing kunais.

"Hi. My name is Mizushi, and I'm going to help you train to become awesome shinobi!" The students cheered. "Here, hold it in front of you like this, with your pointer finger on the blade. Good."

We took turns teaching and evaluating their posture, technique, position, and skills. By the time we were done, our stomachs rumbled and the sun beat down on us.

"Bye guys!" I waved and started to leave.

The kids waved, but a little girl ran up to me and said, "Mi-mizushi? Can you help me to be better?"

I smiled gently. "Sure. When do you want to practice?"

"Um," she said, indecisive.

"How about in two hours? Meet me here okay?"

"Okay. See you." She turned and ran away.

I stopped for lunch at my favourite tsukemen shop. "One dish with BBQ pork and extra bamboo please!"

"On it!" The elderly couple that owned the shop were old family freinds, so I was always welcome.

"Thanks for the great food," I winked and put a few extra ryou on the counter.

I had an hour to spare, so I left the village and found my secret pond. Although it was close to the village, no one bothered to find it or use it. Miyuki and I had created a hideout in a alcove, and I crawled in. The sunlight flitted through the gaps in the leaves, and the grass was nice and soft.

Locating a small rock, I took out a scroll and opened it on top of it. "Ha!" I said, putting my hand on the scroll. The rock disappeared into the scroll, and a hole replaced it. I jumped in, landing on my feet a second later.

A small supply room, filled with weapons and medicine, led to a another room with two beds and a fireplace. An emergency hideout. I plopped onto one of the beds, feeling nostalgic.

Half an hour passes. I climb out, replace the rock, and go to the Academy. Although I'm five minutes early, the girl is sitting on the grass waiting.

She notices me and runs over. "Hi, Mizushi-san, I'm ready!"

"Great! Um, could you tell me your name?" I cursed internally for not asking her earlier.

"Tayani." With those innocent eyes, she eagerly jumps up and down.

* * *

"Okay, Tayani, I think that's enough for today." We were both sweating, exhausted, and thirsty after two hours of training. Although tired, Tayani still looks full of energy.

"Tomorrow?" She asks. I imagine myself fainting.

"Sure thing. Two hours after class is dismissed, okay?" I try to sound as cheerful as I can, despite my lack of energy.

* * *

That night, as my mother makes sushi, I stumble in the front door after resting at my hideout. I plop down onto a cushion, drained. Reluctantly I dragged myself to the bathroom and took a bath.

"Ahh... that feels better," I murmur. Splashing myself with cold water seems to renergize me.

By the time I'm cleaned up and rejuvenated, dinner is almost ready.

"Are you back to normal yet?" Yunimaru asked.

"Eh? Oh, yeah, just a little tired." Sheesh, my brother can be a little too stealthy.

"Dinner's ready! Mizushi, get your father!" My mother's voice came from the kitchen.

"DAD!" I yelled.

"Coming!" I heard footsteps, and a few seconds later, my father appeared, out of breath, and sat down. We followed suit and the food was laid out in front of us.

"Itadakimasu!" In unison, we grabbed our chopsticks and dug in.

* * *

After dinner, I took a walk around the village. I passed the Academy, thinking about Tayani. I lay down on top of a lake, keeping myself afloat with chakra. I stared at the moon as it rose, waiting until it was almost at its zenith. Then I got up, walked home, plopped on my bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

Lanette~ how is it so far?


End file.
